Overblown Controversy': NY Times Editorial Board Says Obama Only 'Misspoke' About Keeping Health Plans

The New York Times published an editorial Sunday dismissing President Barack Obama's broken promise of allowing all Americans to keep their current health plans as an "overblown controversy" and said he simply "misspoke."

"Congressional Republicans have stoked consumer fears and confusion with charges that the health care reform law is causing insurers to cancel existing policies and will force many people to pay substantially higher premiums next year for coverage they don’t want," the editorial said. "That, they say, violates President Obama’s pledge that if you like the insurance you have, you can keep it."

"Mr. Obama clearly misspoke when he said that," the editorial board concluded.

(Image source: Shutterstock.com)

A report published by NBC News earlier this week said the Obama administration knew for at least three years that millions of Americans would not be able to keep their current health plans under the Affordable Care Act.

The New York Times, widely considered to be the U.S.' paper of record, also conceded that premiums will most likely rise as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.

"[P]remiums may well rise, in part because insurance companies must accept all applicants, not just the healthy," the paper said, adding prices "will likely go up for younger, healthier patients."

"Many higher-income people who won’t qualify for subsidies, however, will have to buy policies providing more benefits than they want," the paper continued. "Maternity care for those who will not have children is one sore point. But that is one price of moving toward universal coverage with comprehensive benefits."

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